Wheelbarrow



Nov. 1, 1966 R. TONELLI 3,282,600

WHEELBARROW Filed April 29, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR Roger Ybnellz' attjs R. TONELL] WHEELBARROW Nov. 1, 1966 2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

Filed April 29, 1964 FIG. 3

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INVENTOI? Roger Tarzellz' y United States Patent "ice 3,282,600 WHEELBARROW Roger Tonelli, Chicago, 111., assignor to Radio Steel & Mfg. Co., Chicago, 11]., a corporation of Illinois Filed Apr. 29, 1964, Ser. No. 363,462 Claims. (Cl. 280--47.31)

This invention relates to a wheelbarrow and more particularly to a strong and rugged wheelbarrow such as may be used for construction work and in which the wheelbarrow can be fabricated, packaged, distributed and sold as separate elements in knocked down condition for assembly by the user to provide a new and improved wheelbarrow of rugged construction.

To the present, wheelbarrows have been fabricated and assembled at the factory for sale and distribution as an assembled product. Manufacture and assembly at the factory was believed necessary to achieve the desired ruggedness, strength and utility in the final product. However, when assembled, the wheelbarrow occupies considerable space thereby to render it impractical to house the assembled wheelbarrow in a package 'for shipment, storage and sale. Thus it has become the practice of the art to ship the assembled wheelbarrow without packaging and this exposes the assembled wheelbarrow to bumps and abrasions which often mar the finish or in troduce imperfections into the construction thereof and thereby detract from the salability of the finished product. In addition, the large space occupied by the assembled wheelbarrow operates to increase the cost and expense from the standpoint of the shipment of the wheelbarrow. The large space requirement has effect also on the amount of space that can be made available for the display and for the inventory of the assembled product.

It is an object of this invention to produce a wheelbarrow of the type described which embodies a number of improvements not only in appearance but also in construction whereby greater strength and ruggedness is achieved, whereby less interference is had with the loading and unloading of the bowl portion of the wheelbarrow, and whereby greater utility can be effected and a number of economies can be experienced in the production, sale, distribution and use thereof.

Another object is to produce a wheelbarrow of the type described which can be fabricated of a number of separable parts which are easily and quickly assembled to produce a rugged and strong wheelbarrow but in which the parts can be packaged in their separated relationship to enable the entire wheelbarrow to be housed in a package of relatively small dimension and of a shape that can be easily handled thereby materially to reduce the cost of packaging, shipment, storage and display.

A further object is to produce a wheelbarrow of the type described which embodies a new and improved undercarriage construction or frame on which the bowl is supported to provide more ruggedness and strength in the assembly.

These and other objects and advantages of this invention will hereinafter appear, and for punposes of illustration, but not of limitation, an embodiment of the invention is shown in the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective side elevational view of the assembled wheelbarrow embodying the features of this invent-ion;

FIG. 2 is a sectional elevational view taken along the line 22 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the separated parts of the wheelbarrow in their relative positions for assembly;

dlgzfidd Patented Nov. 1, 1966 FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along the line 44 of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a modified form of filler strip.

The wheelbarrow is formed of a dished bowl 10 of conventional construction and an undercarriage 12 which embodies the principal features of this invention.

The dished bowl 10 is formed to substantially rectangular shape from a single piece of sheet metal to provide a relatively flat bottom wall 14 and upwardly and outwardly inclined side walls 16 which terminate in a continuous rolled edge 18 at their upper ends.

In the preferred practice of this invention wherein use is made of a filler strip 20 in the form of a wedge shaped channel member secured as by welding, at 22, to the underside of the bowl in laterally spaced apart relation for attachment of the bowl to the under-carriage, the extension of securing bolts through the bottom wall 14 of the bowl 10 for attachment to the under-carriage can be eliminated, whereby the bowl presents a smooth surface which is uninterrupted by the heads of the bolts. Thus the bowl is free of projections in the bottom wall which function as dirt collectors or else interference With the movement of a shovel or the like implement over the bottom wall for shoveling or otherwise removing dry particulate material or slurries from the bowl. The ability to form the bowl of one piece of sheet metal without punchings to receive the attaching bolts operates also to provide for a stronger bowl and one that can be formed with less cost and with lesser numbers of operations and equipment.

The channel member 20, shown in greater detail in FIGS. 3 and 4, is formed wit-h a bottom wall 24 and laterally spaced apart perpendicular side walls 26 which are secured at their upper edge, as by welding 22, to the underside of the bowl 10. The bottom walls are provided with longitudinally spaced apart key slots 28 with the key slots having an opening at one end of larger dimension to enable the heads 30 of carriage bolts 32 to pass through the openings but wherein the slots 28 are of smaller dimension than the head but of greater width than the shank of the carriage bolts to enable the latter to be displaced longitudinally therethrough to position the carriage bolts in the slot for attachment of the bowl to the undercarriage, as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 4. Instead of making use of keyhole slots as illustrated, use can be made of slots extending inwardly from the ends of the channel members for longitudinal displacement of the carriage bolts therethrough to position of use.

An important feature of this invention resides in the subdivision of the elongate handle members 40, preferably formed of wood, but which also may be formed of other structurally strong materials such as metal, plastics, laminate or the like, into two parts, hereinafter referred to as the front piece and the rear piece as. Each front piece 40 is of square or rectangular shape in crosssection and is provided with an opening 42 extending crosswise and spaced from the forward edge by an amount to crosswise align the opening 42 with an opening 44 in a bumper plate 46 when the forward end portion of the front piece 40 is received in fitting relationship within the channel section of the bumper member. The bumper member 46 is a metal member formed of a channel section having a base 48 in the form of a front Wall and bail portions 50 extending perpendicularly rearwardly from the outer edges of the base and with the channel member having a central portion dimensioned to have a length corresponding with the spaced relationship between the forward ends of the front pieces 40 and with the end portions turned to extend rearwardly at an angle cor-responding to the angle made between the front pieces and the base so that, in the assembled relationship, the forward end portions of the front pieces 40 will be received in substantially fitting relationship between the bails 50 of the rearwardly turned portions while the forward edge of each of the front pieces will abut against the base thereby securely and rigidly to fix the bumper onto the front end of the front pieces and to tie in the front pieces one to the other through the bumper. Conventional fastening means, such as bolt 52 and nut 54, can be used to secure the bumper in the assembled relationship on the ends of the front pieces, as seen in FIG. 1. The bumper plate can also be formed with one or more vertically disposed and/or preferably horizontally disposed ribs extending forwardly from the front side of the base to provide a non-slip surface which may be used when rocking the wheelbarrow about the bumper as a pivot to give a forward dump of the content material from the bowl.

The outer ends of the front pieces 40 and the inner ends of the rear pieces 40* are also formed to square of rectangular shape of substantially the same crosssection so that the rear piece will function as a continuation of the front piece when aligned with the forward end of the rear piece in abutting relationship with the rear end of the front piece. Openings 56 are provided to extend vertically through both the front and rear pieces in a portion spaced from the abutting ends and in position for vertical alignment with the slotted portions 28 in the filler strips 'for passage of the channel bolts 32 through said openings to etfect attachment of the bowl and channel onto the handle portions. The outer ends of the rear pieces 40* are preferably mounted for use as a handle grip 58 but other configurations for gripping the handle may be employed.

The framing and the cross brace members comprise a combination of metal members including leg members 60 in the form of V shaped members having a flat central foot portion 62 with an opening 63 extending therethrough and with portions adjacent the ends of the foot portion extending angularly forwardly to provide leg members 64 and with the end portions turned outwardly from the upper ends of the leg members to provide flat flanged sections 66 each having an opening 68 extending therethrough with the legs 64 spread apart by an amount to space the openings 68 one from the other by a distance corresponding to the spaced relationship between the openings 56 in the aligned front and back pieces of the handle so that the carriage bolt 32 can be inserted to extend continuously through the handle portion and the underlying flange 66 for threading a nut 70 onto the threaded through-extending end portion of the carriage bolt to interconnect the spaced legs, the handle portions and the channel st-rips fixed to the underside of the bolt. Thus the handle portions are secured in their assembled relation at spaced apart portions to the one piece filler strip on one side and to the one piece leg member on the opposite side securely to interconnect the handle portions in their assembled relationship one to the other and to the bolt.

The cross brace member 72 comprises an elongate metal member having a central portion 74 of channel shape with the bottom wall having a hat central portion 76 and with the end portions being formed with a downturned portion 78, a flat horizontally disposed portion 80, and an upwardly turned end flange 82 to define a lengthwise channel section t-herebetween dimensioned to have a width corresponding to the width of the abutting portions of the handle pieces 40 and 40 for receiving the abutting end port-ions of the handle pieces therein. The base member 80 of each channel section is provided with longitudinally spaced apart openings 84 positioned to be vertically aligned with openings 86 provided to extend vertically through the handle pieces 40 and 40 and spaced a short distance from the abutting ends. The channel sections in the opposite ends of the cross brace member 72 are spaced one from the other by an amount to correspond with the spaced relationship between the pair of handle pieces and the filler strips so as to receive the lower portions of the handle pieces, at their abutting ends, in fitting relationship within said channel sections of the cross brace members. The elements are secured in their assembled relationship by bolt and nut means 88 wherein the elongate bolts extend downwardly through the aligned openings in the handle pieces and the channel members with a threaded end portion extending through and beyond the channel members threadably to receive a fastening nut. In the preferred practice, the head of the bolt can be welded directly onto the underside of the metal filler strip 20 to form a part thereof or else it can be inserted into the channel bracket of the filler strip 'by providing additional longitudinally aligned key slots of the type previously described and arranged to position the bolts in vertical registry with the aligned openings in the abutting ends of the handle pieces and the channel section of the cross brace member.

Also secured to form a part of the cross brace member is an inverted V-shaped metal member 90 having a central flat portion 92 at the apex of the V for attachment, as by welding or by riveting, to the underside of the central flat section 76 of the cross brace member. The portions outwardly of the central apex are turned angularly downwardly to extend laterally as legs 94 from the apex and the portions on the ends of the legs are bent to extend outwardly to provide a fiat horizontally disposed flange 96 having an opening 98 through a central portion thereof. The spaced relationship between the flanged end portions 96 of the cross brace member corresponds to the laterally spaced apart relationship of the foot portions 62 of the leg members 6%) so that the flanged portions 96 will rest on the foot portions 62 with the respective openings 98 and 64 in registry one with the other for interconnection, as by bolt and nut means. In such instances, it is desirable to form the underside of the foot with a countersink to receive the head of the bolt. While not essential, it is preferred to form the flanged portion 96 with a downwardly extending lip on the ends to overlap the foot portion 62 and thereby give lateral support between the interconnected members.

As shown in FIG. 3 of the drawing, the entire assembly can be be broken down into separate pieces including the leg members 60, the cross brace member 72, the bumper 46, the two piece handle portions 40 and 40 and the bowl 10 with the attached filler strips of channel section 20. The sectioned handle pieces, the leg members, the cross brace member and the bumper can all be received within the bowl to enable packaging of the entire assembly in a package large enough to receive the bowl. In the event that the length diagonally in the bowl is not surficient to receive the sectioned handle portions, these may extend partly beyond the bowl or otherwise packaged to extend alongside the bowl.

In assembly, the carriage bolts 32 are positioned on the channel brackets. The center bolts 88 are inserted through the aligned openings in the handle portions and then the openings in the channel sections on the ends of the cross brace members are brought into position so that the threaded ends of the bolts 88 will extend therethrough and the nut members are thereafter threaded onto the through-extending portions to interconnect the spaced portions of the aligned handle sections with the one piece cross brace member and the one piece longitudinally extending filler strip.

The carriage bolts 32 on the outer ends of the filler strips are inserted through the outer of the spaced openings of the handle members and through the underlying openings in the flanges 66 at the upper ends of the leg members 64 and the nut members 70 are threaded onto the through-extending threaded end portion to interconnect the filler strip, leg members and additionally spaced portions of the handle sections. The legs 94 of the cross brace member are bolted to the foot '62 of the leg member 64 and the bumper 46 is bolted onto the ends of the front pieces 40 to complete the assembly.

The filler strip in the form of the metal channel bracket 20 of FIGS. 1 and 4 can be replaced with a wooden filler strip of the type shown in FIG. 5 wherein the filler strip 105 is formed with the same four spaced apart openings 104 and 106 for the passage of the carriage bolts therethrough but wherein the filler strip is countersunk, as at 108, about the center openings 106 to enable the head of the carriage bolt to be received therein. In the use of the wooden filler strip of FIG. 5, the bottom wall of the bowl is formed with openings adapted to be aligned with the outer openings 104 in the filler strips for the insertion of the carriage bolts therethrough. In such event, the heads of the bolts will project upwardly from the bottom wall of the bowl unless the latter is countersunk.

The filler strips are tapered, as illustrated, to compensate for the angle which the handles make with the horizontal so that, when the filler strips are disposed between the handle portions and the underside of the bowl, the latter will be substantially horizontally disposed for fuller utilization of the capacity of the bowl.

The wheelbarrow is provided with the usual tired wheel 110 which is carried by the under-carriage in the opening between the laterally spaced handles 40 and by the bowl l and the bumper 46. For this purpose, an axle 112 is journalled at its ends between clamping plates 114 fixed to the underside of the front piece 40 of the handle by bolt and nut means 116. The wheel is rotatably mounted on the axle. In the assembled relation, each handle piece is secured in longitudinally spaced apart relation to the filler strip with one portion connected to the horizontally spaced apart portions of the one piece foot member while other portions are secured to the one piece cross brace member. Thus the handles are rigidly secured in the assembly. The handle members are gripped by the channel sections 80 of the cross brace member in a manner to militate against lateral displacement or relative movements between the sections. The supported legs of the cross brace member are inclined towards the foot piece of the leg members in a manner to prevent spread thereby to provide a rigid support while the legs of the foot members are fixed in their longitudinally spaced apart relation to the longitudinally spaced apart portions of the one piece filler strip to prevent spread or relative movements therebetween. The members are thus interconnected one to another in the assembly to provide a strong and fixed assembly having strength and stability as great as, if not greater than, that capable of being achieved by pre-assembled units of the type heretofore produced.

Further, the cross brace member and interconnected leg members provide a support in the undercarriage which has not been capable of achievement in assemblies heretofore produced and thereby to make available a wheelbarrow that can be employed for the heaviest jobs and under the most trying conditions.

The comfort and flexibility of a wooden handle is still retained without loss in rigidity or strength of the handle by reason of its being divided into two sections of shorter lengths. Aside from the advantages derived in the packaging of such two-piece handle members, the ability to make use of shorter lengths of wood for the handle pieces permits lower cost pieces of shorter lengths to be used in the fabrication of the handle members.

It will be apparent from the foregoing that I have provided a new and improved wheelbarrow having improved structural characteristics and strength and the ability to be knocked down into small units which can be easily packaged for shipment, storage and sale, and for the protection of the finished product.

It will be understood that changes may be made in the details of construction, arrangement and operation 6 without departing from the spirit of the invention, espe* cially as defined in the following claims.

I claim:

1. A wheelbarrow formed of separable parts including:

(1) a bowl;

(2) a pair of elongate handles each having a length greater than the bowl and in which each of the handles is separable into parts of substantially equal length;

(3) a bumper plate and means for mounting the bumper plate onto the ends of the assembled handles when in position of use;

(4) a cross brace member having channel shaped sections on the opposite ends spaced one from the other by an amount corresponding to the spaced relationship between the handles in their assembled relationship and having a width corresponding to the width of the handles in an intermediate portion thereof to receive the handle portions in fitting relationship within the channel sections and having a length dimensioned to extend beyond the ends of the handle pieces when aligned in abutting relationship one with the other to form the handle and means for securing the handle pieces in the channel sections of the cross brace member;

(5) a pair of leg members comprising elongate strips of a structurally strong material bent to V-shape with the apex of the V lowermost in the assembled relationship to provide a foot rest for the wheelbarrow and with the legs of the V-shaped members extending angularly upwardly and outwardly to engage portions of the handle pieces spaced longitudinally from the abutting edges and means for connecting the ends of the legs to the longitudinally spaced apart portions of the handle pieces and with the leg members spaced laterally one from the other by an amount corresponding' to the spaced relationship between the assembled handles;

(6) means for connecting the handles in their laterally 1sjpaced apart relationship to the underside of the (7) said cross brace member having a portion extending downwardly and outwardly from an intermediate portion thereof to the apex portions of each of the leg members and means for interconnecting said downwardly extending portions with the apex portions of the leg members to prevent spread of the legs and to provide vertical bracing; and

(8) a wheel, and means rotatably mounting the wheel onto the leg members between the forward end portions thereof.

2. A wheelbarrow comprising a bowl, a pair of elongate handles secured to the underside of the bowl in laterally spaced apart relation with each handle being formed of two pieces including a front piece and a rear piece with said pieces being aligned one with the other in end to end abutting relationship to form the handle, a bumper plate and means mounting the bumper plate on the forward ends of the front pieces to interconnect the front piecesin their assembled relation, a cross brace member extending crosswise between the handles and beneath the bowl with channel sections on the outer end portions of the cross brace member spaced one from the other by an amount corresponding to the spaced relationship between the handles and having a width dimensioned to correspond to the width of the handle portions to receive the handle portions therein in fitting relationship and means for securing the handle portions in the channel sections with the two pieces aligned in end to end relation and with the abutting ends in an intermediate portion of the channel section, said cross brace member also including members extending downwardly and outwardly laterally from the central portion thereof for a distance to space the ends by an amount corresponding to the spaced relationship between the handle portions, a pair of leg members formed to V-shape with the upper ends of the V-shaped members being connected to longitudinally spaced apart portions of the handle pieces and means connecting the downwardly extending portion of the cross brace member with the apex portions of the leg members, a wheel and means rotatably mounting the wheel between the front pieces of the handle members.

3. A wheelbarrow as claimed in claim 2 in which the handles are wooden handles.

4. A wheelbarrow as claimed in claim 2 in which the bumper plate comprises a channel shaped member bent to U-shape with the central bail portion dimensioned to have a length corresponding to the spaced relationship between the ends of the handles.

5. A wheelbarrow as claimed in claim 4 in which the walls of the channel shaped bumper member are dimensioned to be spaced by an amount corresponding to the thickness of the handle end portions to receive the handle end portions therein with the forward end of each handle end portion lying in substantially abutting relationship with the back side of the bail portion to establish an interfitting relationship between the elements, and means for interconnecting the handle end portion and the bumper plate in their assembled relation.

6. A wheelbarrow as claimed in claim 2 in which the cross brace member comprises an intermediate portion of channel shape with the channel sections outwardly thereof.

7. A wheelbarrow as claimed in claim 2 in which the member extending downwardly and outwardly laterally from the central portion of the cross brace member comprises arms extending integrally laterally and downwardly from the central portion of the cross brace member for a distance corresponding to the spaced apex portions off the leg members.

8. A wheelbarrow as claimed in claim 7 in which the arms have flattened end portions lying in abutting relationship with the apex portions of the leg members and in which the means interconnecting the leg members to the cross brace members comprises means interconnecting the flattened end portions with the adjacent apex portions of the leg members.

9. A wheelbarrow as claimed in claim 8 in which the ends of the flattened end portions of the arms have downwardly turned end portions to provide a flange which abuts the outer edges of the apex portions of the leg members to prevent lateral spread therebetween.

It). A wheelbarrow as claimed in claim 2 in which the connection between the longitudinally spaced apart portions of the handle pieces and the upper end portions of the leg members include the bowl to rigidly secure the handle pieces, leg members and bowl together in their assembled relationship.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 187,549 2/1877 Nutting et al 280-4731 1,622,354 3/1927 Smith 280-47.31 1,630,975 5/1927 Smith 28047.3l

BENJAMIN HERSH, Primary Examiner.

J. A. PEKAR, Assistant Examiner. 

1. A WHEELBARROW FORMED OF SEPARABLE PARTS INCLUDING: (1) A BOWL; (2) A PAIR OF ELONGATE HANDLES EACH HAVING A LENGTH GREATER THAN THE BOWL AND IN WHICH EACH OF THE HANDLES IS SEPARABLE INTO PARTS OF SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL LENGTH; (3) A BUMPER PLATE AND MEANS FOR MOUNTING THE BUMPER PLATE ONTO THE ENDS OF THE ASSEMBLED HANDLES WHEN IN POSITION OF USE; (4) A CROSS BRACE MEMBER HAVING CHANNEL SHAPED SECTIONS ON THE OPPOSITE ENDS SPACED ONE FROM THE OTHER BY AN AMOUNT CORRESPONDING TO THE SPACED RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE HANDLES IN THEIR ASSEMBLED RELATIONSHIP AND HAVING A WIDTH CORRESPONDING TO THE WIDTH OF THE HANDLES IN AN INTERMEDIATE PORTION THEREOF TO RECEIVE THE HANDLE PORTIONS IN FITTING RELATIONSHIP WITHIN THE CHANNEL SECTIONS AND HAVING A LENGTH DIMENSIONED TO EXTEND BEYOND THE ENDS OF THE HANDLE PIECES WHEN ALIGNED IN ABUTTING RELATIONSHIP ONE WITH THE OTHER TO FORM THE HANDLE AND MEANS FOR SECURING THE HANDLE PIECES IN THE CHANNEL SECTIONS OF THE CROSS BRACE MEMBER; (5) A PAIR OF LEG MEMBERS COMPRISING ELONGATE STRIPS OF A STRUCTURALLY STRONG MATERIAL BENT TO V-SHAPE WITH THE APEX OF THE V LOWERMOST IN THE ASSEMBLED RELATIONSHIP TO PROVIDE A FOOT REST FOR THE WHEELBARROW AND WITH THE LEGS OF THE V-SHAPED MEMBERS EXTENDING ANGULARLY UPWARDLY AND OUTWARDLY TO ENGAGE PORTIONS OF THE HANDLE PIECES SPACED LONGITUDINALLY FROM THE ABUTTING EDGES AND MEANS FOR CONNECTING THE ENDS OF THE LEGS TO THE LONGITUDINALLY SPACED APART PORTIONS OF THE HANDLE PIECES AND WITH THE LEG MEMBERS SPACED LATERALLY ONE FROM THE OTHER BY AN AMOUNT CORRESPONDING TO THE SPACED RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE ASSEMBLED HANDLES; (6) MEANS FOR CONNECTING THE HANDLES IN THEIR LATERALLY SPACED APART RELATIONSHIP TO THE UNDERSIDE OF THE BOWL; (7) SAID CROSS BRACE MEMBER HAVING A PORTION EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY AND OUTWARDLY FORM AN INTERMEDIATE PORTION THEREOF TO THE APEX PORTIONS OF EACH OF THE LEG MEMBERS AND MEANS FOR INTERCONNECTING SAID DOWNWARDLY EXTENDING PORTIONS WITH THE APEX PORTIONS OF THE LEG MEMBERS TO PREVENT SPREAD OF THE LEGS AND TO PROVIDE VERTICAL BRACING; AND (8) A WHEEL, AND MEANS ROTATABLY MOUNTING THE WHEEL ONTO THE LEG MEMBERS BETWEEN THE FORWARD END PORTIONS THEREOF. 